Joe Brummell, the Madison County Fire Warden and Disaster and Emergency Services Coordinator, was recognized as the 2022 Fire Cooperator of the Year by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.

“Joe exemplifies the term cooperator by building strong relationships amongst the local volunteer fire departments, the DNRC, and federal partners of southwest Montana,” said Jay Lemon, Dillon Unit Fire Management Officer who co-nominated Brummell for the award. “Joe works tirelessly to make sure his county and its citizens are well-prepared for wildfire through innovative information sharing in addition to being an avid proponent of continued safety training within the departments.”

The inaugural award recognizes an individual or organization for their outstanding support of rural fire protection and the DNRC State/County Co-Op Fire Program.

Well respected by his peers and partners, those who know him would describe Joe as humble, considerate, and above all, willing to go beyond the call of duty in a moment’s notice. He is highly regarded by his chiefs who value his input and opinion.

“Whenever there’s a fire, Joe is always requested in some capacity because of his leadership and communication skills,” said Lemon. “When fires do occur, he is quick to respond and helps manage incidents with a steady, calm demeanor, placing firefighter safety first.”

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About the County Co-Op Program: The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation formally partners with all 56 counties in Montana to help ensure wildland fire protection on over 55 million acres of State and private land via an arrangement known as “County Co-op”. Through this agreement, Montana counties provide the basic level of wildland fire protection through a system of rural firefighting organizations and county personnel. In return for their service, those counties receive DNRC organizational assistance, fire equipment, training, and direct fire control assistance as needed. When a wildland fire exceeds the local capacity, the DNRC mobilizes to assist bringing to bear the considerable resources of the wildfire response system, all at no cost to the benefitting county.

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/ac5c457bf2db496989bd6b12107cdd41/page/County-Cooperative-Fire-Protection/